Quick Facts
Biography
Luann de Lesseps is an American television personality, model, author, and singer, most famously known for appearing in the reality television series The Real Housewives of New York City.
Her nickname, "Countess," comes from her previous marriage to Frenchman Alexandre de Lesseps, a descendant of Ferdinand de Lesseps, the architect of the Suez Canal.
Early life and childhood
Luann de Lesseps was born on May 17, 1965, in Berlin, Connecticut, USA. Her father owned a construction business. De Lesseps is of Algonquin, French, and Canadian descent -- Algonquin and French from her father, and French and Canadian from her mother.
De Lesseps grew up with six brothers and sisters in Berlin, Connecticut.
Career
De Lesseps began her career as a licensed practical nurse in Connecticut. At one point, she had also modeled in Milan.
Television
In 2008, she was cast on Bravo's reality series, The Real Housewives of New York City. The first season premiered on March 4, 2008, and De Lesseps appeared alongside Bethenny Frankel, Alex McCord, Ramona Singer and Jill Zarin. In season 6, in 2014, De Lesseps was demoted to a recurring role and was not a main cast member.
However, she returned as a main cast member in season 7, which aired from April 2015 to September 2015.
In 2009, De Lesseps authored a book, "Class with the Countess: How to Live with Elegance and Flair." The book met with fairly poor reviews on Amazon and GoodReads.
In May 2010, she released her first record, "Money Can't Buy You Class." She released her next two singles, "Chic, C'est La Vie," and "Girl Code," in June 2011 and July 6, 2015, respectively.
In 2011, she made a guest appearance on the NBC television series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," in the episode "Bully."
Personal life
In 1993, she married Alexandre de Lesseps, becoming his fourth wife. Alexandre is an entrepreneur and investment banker in France. He is a descendant of Ferdinand de Lesseps, the French diplomat, and entrepreneur who built the Suez Canal and started the Panama Canal. Together, they have two children. They divorced in 2009 after his alleged affair with Ethiopian Princess Kemeria Abajobir Abajifar.
On December 31, 2016, de Lesseps married Thomas D'Agostino Jr. in Palm Beach, Florida. D'Agostino is a businessman in New York.